


Protection

by Adelina_Ophelia



Category: Strictly Come Dancing RPF
Genre: And also don't need no man, But Also Some Angst, F/M, Princess AU, Ranvir is a beautiful princess who deserves the world, Swords, ballgowns, lots of fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-11 23:26:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29375631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adelina_Ophelia/pseuds/Adelina_Ophelia
Summary: Princess/Bodyguard AU because Ranvir in a ballgown (like a proper full skirt princess ballgown) is what this world deserves.
Relationships: Giovanni Pernice/Ranvir Singh
Comments: 19
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

Ranvir ran down the corridor of her uncle’s castle, her heels clipping across the floor. The deep blue skirt of her dress was gathered in her hands, slightly higher than was decent but practicality overtook decency at this exact moment. The pages at the door scrambled to push open the doors in time for her to pass through unchallenged. Although Ranvir was usually very pleasant to those who served her uncle, when she was in this kind of a mood she could be a bitch sometimes. Finally, after nearly fully down two flights of stairs, Ranvir pushed open the doors to the throne room despite the guards warning her she was not allowed in.

“What the actual fuck?” She demanded.

“Watch your language!” Her mother quickly reprimanded but her uncle held up a hand to silence his sister-in-law.

“I understand it’s not ideal…” He began.

“Not ideal! I’m not a bloody child and I don’t need a handler!” She protested and dropped down onto a window seat.

“We are at war, Ranvir. And I need to protect my niece; who also happens to be the only person in this family with a son.”

“If you think for one moment I will ever let you manipulate my child into becoming you, you’re sorely mistaken.”

“Which is why I’m merely insisting on you two staying at court for the duration of the war, particularly after the unfortunate death of your husband.”

Ranvir scoffed at that, “Unfortunate indeed. You had him murdered. Not complaining though. Probably the only useful thing you’ve ever done.”

“That is quite enough! I understand that you are unhappy with my decision. But I am still your uncle and your king and you will obey me as such!”

Ranvir rolled her eyes and muttered something about him being a twat still. Her uncle elected to ignore her insult and instead turned to the man he’d previously been talking to and continued their conversation. She took this slight reprieve in being lectured to survey the newcomer talking to her uncle. As reluctant as she was to admit it, he was quite something; tall with floppy dark hair and piercing green eyes. He was certainly built like a guard; from her view, she could see the muscles in his back rippling under his white shirt. She considered him for a moment until they both turned to face her.

“This my new babysitter then?” She questioned sarcastically. 

“Bodyguard, child,” her uncle corrected.

“Not a child,” She murmured.

The man smirked slightly at her sarcasm, “I’m Giovanni.”

“Not from round here then?” Ranvir noted in the difference in his accent. 

“Not originally, your highness, no,” he offered.

“Well at least you aren’t his puppet yet,” she cast a pointed glance over at her uncle. “I’m not fucking happy about being stalked.”

“I’ll make myself as scarce as possible, m’am, I promise.”

“Could you just not exist?” 

Giovanni barked out a laugh and Ranvir looked confused, “Do I amuse you, sir?” She questioned.

He instantly panicked and shook his head, “No, you highness. Not at all.”

She smirked, “Oh you’re gonna be fun to fuck around. I suppose you’re not the worst my uncle could have picked.”

With that she turned and left the throne room, Giovanni hot on her heels. While following the very irritated Princess, he looked her over. The very front of her messy black curls was pinned back with a sapphire pin, perfectly matching the shade of her deep blue gown, which was itself studded with sapphires and pearls. He couldn’t help but admire the woman’s headstrong nature, something that couldn’t be easy to maintain in this court. Naturally, he had heard about this particular princess. She had lost her father as a child, the original king, and her uncle had taken his throne as both her older sisters had been married and therefore no longer carried the royal name. She’d argued to hell and back over her marriage but ended up having go through with it; when she fell pregnant and one of her maids warned her uncle about this husband’s aggressive nature towards the princess, he’d retaliated by having her husband murdered and left her alone with a son.

“Have you quite finished staring?”

Her sharp tone pulled him out of his thoughts and he looked up and met her flashing dark eyes. 

“Forgive me, your highness. I was checking for a dagger; I’m not convinced you won’t assassinate me,” he quipped.

Ranvir smirked, “I might. Depends how you behave yourself.”

Giovanni took her smirk as an invite to be bold and stepped closer to her, “And how would I get into your highness’ good books then?”

“Wait and see.”


	2. Chapter 2

Giovanni watched intently as Ranvir slowly and methodically ran the decadent brush through her waist-length black curls. He’d never met a woman quite as intriguing as this one. She had the beauty of the deities he’d learnt about back in school, the intelligence to rival any man in this court and the temper of a hurricane. Leaning back in the chair he was occupying in the outer suite of the Princess’ apartments, he caught her dark eye in the mirror.

“What?”

And there was the temper.

“Nothing, m’am,” was Giovanni’s quick reply.

Sighing softly, Ranvir put the hairbrush down. She knew she was being cruel and unfair to the poor man; it wasn’t exactly his fault her uncle was so controlling. Turning and standing from the vanity, she slowly and methodically made her way over to the seat opposite him, the red silk of her day dress cascading around her, rubies dancing in the sunlight flooding through the windows. Delicately dropping down into the opposite seat, Ranvir met his confused eyes.

“I want to apologise. This isn’t your fault. Any part of it. I’m taking my annoyance out on you and that isn’t fair of me,” Ranvir slowly explained.

“Isn’t that my job?” Confusion spread across his face.

Ranvir laughed softly, “No. Your job is to stop me from getting killed. Not to be a punching bag for me. Although I wouldn’t mind a sparring partner occasionally.”

“With words or….”

“Words or swords, sir. Preferably both.”

Gio couldn’t stop his jaw from dropping. He almost couldn’t believe that this perfectly poised woman who he’d been watching for the past week would be versed in sword fighting. Although, now that he thought about it, it wasn’t that far out of her character to partake in such activities; there had to be another outlet for that temper when she didn’t have a guard to snap at.

“I’m not usually this moody, sir, I assure you. This war has just been raging unnecessarily for so damn long, it’s beginning to grate on my nerves,” Ranvir shyly looked down at her hands.

Unthinkingly, Gio placed his hand over hers, “It’s quite alright, your royal highness. I was warned you had a tendency to snap when being babysat.”

Letting out an uncontrollable laugh, Ranvir slowly dropped her shoulders and leant back comfortably into the chair, “So, tell me about yourself sir.”

“There isn’t much to tell, madam.”

Ranvir rolled her eyes at that, “You must have come from somewhere. You must have a family. Tell me about it; I promise you won’t be overstepping.”

Gio leant back and unconsciously matched her posture, “Well, my family weren’t the richest whilst I was growing up. We had enough to live by but nothing overly grand. Most of their money got saved up as a dowry for my elder sister. I was the youngest and I suppose they didn’t expect much from me. But I knew how to use a sword and eventually worked my way up to here.”

Ranvir looked at him curiously, “How old are you?”

“25…” he looked sheepishly down at his hands.

This time it was Ranvir’s jaw that dropped, “You’re the youngest then. Trust me, I’ve been forced to study this shit intensively. There’s never been anyone under 35 even considered before. Either we’re really desperate… or you’re a whole new level of amazing.”

Blushing, Gio looked up at her, “Before me then, who was the youngest who was made to guard you?”

“Well, I suppose that would be Lestrade. He retired 8 months ago but he’s been looking after me for 34 years… so my entire life.”

“So you didn’t mind being babysat then?”

Ranvir rolled her eyes, “He wasn’t such a pain in the arse.”

“I’m only a pain in the arse because you’re so closed off.”

Ranvir started slightly and Giovanni silently cursed, wondering if he’d made a mistake. He hadn’t meant it as rude, just as teasing but maybe he’d gone too far. He was almost certain of this fact when she rose and stood regally above him.

“Will you join me for a walk in the garden? Officially, I mean. Not just stalking behind me like some predator.”

Giovanni beamed up at her.

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm obsessed with fantasy books and Ranvanni so here is the result of that.


End file.
